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“I can’t be in the same room with those people.” This has been said by otherwise good citizens on both sides of Ely’s hot-button issues. Opposing lawn signs have created tension between neighbors. Relationships between family members and longtime friends have been damaged by political differences. People on both sides fling out labels of “idiots,” “scumbags,” and “liars” for those with whom they disagree. This is not the way to find solutions to the challenges facing the Ely area and America.
The Ely Braver Angels Alliance seeks to reduce the rancor by providing a place where people with differing views can get to know one another as real people, not as a stereotype based on the candidates they support.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “I do not like that man. I must get to know him better.”
Every person has a story, reasons they believe what they do, a need to feel safe in the world. Listening to and sharing one another’s stories, and understanding others as individuals, goes a long way towards creating a high-functioning community that finds solutions that work even if each detail doesn’t please everyone.
Understanding does not mean agreeing. It means taking the time to see the person behind the opinion.
How can we solve our housing shortage, create well-paying jobs, ensure that we have the emergency services we need, keep our school and community safe from gun violence, and make Ely the “Best Small Town in America” at a deeper level than the magazine awards recognize?
We need to be in the same room, to understand each other without trying to change one another’s viewpoints, to be good neighbors, to discover points of agreement.
As hard as it may be to connect with parents, siblings, and friends who disagree with you, it is too sad to lose those important relationships, and it is possible to get along. Avoiding sensitive topics is one way, but a better way is to learn how to disagree agreeably.
Braver Angels can help with that. Their mission is to bring Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic. For a start, liberals, conservatives, and independents need to be in the same room, just getting to know each other.
To help that happen for Ely, the Ely Braver Angels Alliance is hosting a Happy Hour at SamZ Place next Wednesday, July 24, 5-7 p.m. There will be free beer, a fish fry and plenty of snacks, a raffle and door prizes, and a chance to play corn hole and have friendly conversations, perhaps even challenging ones.
If you want to learn more about the Ely Braver Angels Alliance and be informed about future gatherings, sign up for their newsletter by emailing [email protected] or visit their Facebook page. And come to Happy Hour and be happy.
